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Nov. 24 1925 E. TOBLER COMBINATION LOCK Original Filed Nov. 2. 1922 III-m.

Fig.1

INVENTOR ERNELET TDELEIR.

BY 5% f Wm ATTORN EY representing like parts.

Reissued Nov. 24, 1925. v

UNITED STATES PATENT oFFtCE- he e weewaer .BR IN W else e /A A e eNe .Be M 'sN-e -A$SIGN1YENT, mo r311- .narmmm wax re m ma'nonpocx.

Original 11:0. 1 ,502A11, date i July 2-2, 1924, Serial No. 598,648, filed November 2, 1922. Application for reissue filed August 1 1925- Serial No. 50,310.

To all whom it may concern: 7

Be it known that I, ERNEST TOBLER, a resident of Brunswick, Germany,citizen of the Swiss "Confederation, have invented certain 'Improvements in Combination Locks, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like characters on the drawings 7 to a combination padlock, the present exemplary embodiment comprising a casing adapted for the reception .of the two'limbs of a shackle and provided with rotatable, notched rings which in one position lock the shackle by engagement with notches in its limbs and which releasethe ,shackle when, by certain relative adjustment, all the ring notches are set in ali ment with each other and with the lim bs, the rings being directly superposed and adapted to betransposed with respect to each other for .ehapging the combination.

gb'eot of the invention is to provide means whereby the combination of the lock m y he readi y ehahge wi h eempheeting the strueture, and the presentdisclosed embodiment consists in arranging the .eeh j th eh eh "lim n e' f l t y eteggered .reei ie an in errehe' hg th rin .n tehee ,se the eheh infil eemhinat on eh .e'fie ld shy reve in the h 1e d y rni g .e eh th r ng ere heh yi A erthere ie i e p vid e e m in tien'loek wh e en .h r'eedfl mehip e .hyeny e e kno ing th com na on by t sensepf touch, so that it is possible to operate the lock in the With the above and other objects in view, an ,emhedimen e l h inventie i shown y way or illust ation in he .e eempehyi d wihseeand th'eemh vdim n wil h h r .ina er mor This invention relates f l y describ d w th ref ren .fhe e e and th in enti wi h fi y .peinte 9. .1 nthe la m t i l th eeeiepeh ins d e in r p- .re ht a ve tica eet e e [th ,ped e h e eesh h th p sen emhet men tak were e gs d iewei the .pedleeh, end Rig. 3, a cross section ,on ,the line ,a'-b of 1, gef e d 5 ar vi weshe h ifierent .iarmeefeeteh gthe.eheek elimbs T The padlock, according to the present emranged. There are also two diametrically opposed bores which-are adapted to receive the two limbs of a shackle 1 and which slightly encroach on the central cavity so -as to allow the rings to engage notches %P4 madelin the limbs ofthe shackle 1. 'Notches 4 -46 of one limb are staggered relative to the notches 4 -4 of the other limb, and

each ring has an elongated circumferential .notch 9 in which to admit the dull portion of one limb while the ring engages a notch in the opposite limb. The notch '9 allows the ring-to be turned through an angle 0: and the ring has another notch 8 which, in one position of rotary adjustment of the ring, registers with the opposite limb of the shackle so as to'leavethe' latter disengaged.

Each ring is provided, in a suitable'man'ner, With a stud ,7 which projects through a'slot in the side of theca'sing and which can be used for adjusting the ring. The position of the stud? relative to the notch Sand tothe casing slot is such, that the,stud determines the unlocking position, i. -e., the registration of the notch 8 with the shackle alimb, by

abutment against one edge of the slot. In

Fig. 3 the unlocking movement is anticlockwise, and it is evident that, by turning the ring over on the other side and reversing the shackle, the unlocking movement will be a clockwise one. By arranging the notch 8 opposite different ends of the notch 9 and altering the positionof the stud 7 accordinglyfthe rings can be made to open in eithei direction any given position inthe pile, and a suitablecombination is made up "which must be known ,for opening the "lock.

\Vhile thecombination can be changed-by a turning QYe-r of "the rings and "by a" reversal of the shackle, as previously described, it can also be changed by piling the rings in a difi'erent order or :by replacing indiv'iduol ,rings others ,adapted fer unlocking moveinent the opposite direction wit out reversal of 'thehshackle. As the rings are arranged loosely'in direct contact with .each ether; the ,eh'ehge a e e ly 'e casing closed by a cover 2, which screws ,onto a spindle 6 and which is nor then) .i heked y the a e, the pind e being squared to the casing so as to prevent it from being unscrewed.

I have illustrated and described a preferred and satisfactory embodiment of the invention, but it will be obvious that changes may be made therein, within the spirit and scope thereof, as defined in the appended claims.

I claim 7 1. A combination padlock of the character described, comprising a U-shaped shackle having notched limbs, the notches of one limb being staggered relative to those of the other limb, a casing having bores in which to receive the limbs of the shackle,

and a plurality of superposed rings arranged rotatably in said casing so as to encroach on the bores and engage the notches of the shackle limbs, each ring having an elongated notch which registers with the full portion of one limb so as to allow a partial rotation of the ring through the notch in the opposite shackle limb, the ring having also a notch which, in one end position of the ring, registers with said latter limb so as to allow the shackle to move.

2. A combination lock of the character de scribed, comprising a shackle having spaced parallel notched limbs, a casing havin passages in which to receive the limbs of the shackle, and a plurality of superposed individually and independently rotatable members in said casing arranged toengage the notches of the shackle limbs, each member having an elongated portion adapted to permit limited rotation in opposed directions relatively to the full portion of one limb, the member also having a shackle releasing portion which in one position of the member registers with the other limb, so as to allow the shackle to move.

3. A combination lock of the character described, comprising a shackle having spaced parallel notched limbs, a casing havmg passages in which to receive the limbs of the shackle, and a plurality of superposed individually and independently rotatable members in said casing arranged to engage the notches of the shackle limbs, and provided with releasing portions, which in one position of the respective members register with the limbs to allow the shackle to move, and means limiting said members to a partial rotation, said means adapted in a limited position of movement of said members with respect to said means to determine the unlocked position of said members.

4. A combination lock of the character described, comprising a locking member hav ing spaced abutment portions, a casing having a passage in which to receive said member, a plurality of superposed individually and independently rotatable members in said casing arranged to be engaged at their outer peripheries in the spaces between said abutments of the locking member, and provided with releasing portions, which in one posi tion of the respective members register with said locking member to allow it to move, and means limiting said members to a partial rotation, said means adapted in a limited position of movement of said members with respect to said means to determine the unlocked position of said members.

5. A combination lock of the character described, comprising a locking member having spaced abutment portions, a casing having a passage in which to receive said mem ber, a plurality of superposed individually and independently rotatable members in said casing having a common axis removed from the axis of said locking member, and arranged to be engaged in the spaces between said abutments of said locking member, and

provided with releasing portions, which in one position of the respective members register with said member to allow it to move, and means limiting said members to a partial rotation, said means adapted in a limited position of movement of said members with respect to said means to determine the unlocked position of said members.

6. A combination lock of the character described, comprising a casing having a cylindrical pocket and provided with an opening extending longitudinally of said pocket, the wall of said pocket being provided with a passage extending longitudinally thereof, a locking member engaged in said passage and having longitudinally spaced abutment portions extending into said pocket, and a plurality of rotatable members disposed in superposed ,relation in said pocket adapted in the locked position. to be engaged in the spaces between said abutment portions of said locking member, and provided with releasing portions adapted to register with said locking member in the unlocked position, and projecting means on each of said members extending into said opening of the casing and adapted in a limited position of movement within said opening to determine the unlocked position of said rotatable members.

7. A combination lock of the character described, comprising a casing having a cylindrical pocket and provided with an opening extending longitudinally of said pocket, the wall of said pocket being provided with opposed and parallel passages extending longitudinally thereof, a shackle having spaced parallel limbs slidably engaged in said re spective passages, each limb having longitudinally spaced abutment portions extending into said pocket, and a plurality of rotatable members disposed in superposed relation in said pocket adapted in the locked position to be engaged in the spaces between said abutment portions of said limbs, and provided with releasing portions adapted to register with said limbs in the un locked position, and projecting means on each of said rotatable members extending into said opening and adapted in a limited position of movement within said opening to etermine the unlocked position of said rotatable members.

8. A combination lock of the character described, comprising a casing having a passage, a locking member engaged in said passage, a plurality of individually and independently movable members carried by said casing and adapted to have limited partial movement in one or the other directions, and each adapted in one of two moved positions to register with said locking member to permit its movement in said passage, and adapted out of said moved position to lockingly engage said locking member, said members adapted upon inversion to be operative in opposed direction from their obverse position.

9. A combination lock of the character described, comprising a locking member having spaced abutment portions at opposed sides, a casing adapted to receive said member, a plurality of individually and independently movable members in said casing arranged to be engaged in the spaces between said abutment portions of the locking member, said movable members adapted to individually engage in the spaces between said abutment portions at the respective sides of said locking member, and being provided with releasing portions, said movable mem bers adapted to have limited partial move ment in opposed directions, said releasing portions adapted in one position of the respective members to register with said locking member to allow it to move.

10. A combination lock of the character described, comprising a locking member having spaced. abutment portions at opposed sides, the abutment portions at one side being staggered with relation to the abutment portions at the other side, a casing adapted to receive said member, a plurality of movable members in said casing arranged to be engaged in the spaces between said abutment portions of the locking member, the alternate movable members adapted to individually engage in the spaces between said abutment portions at, the respective sides of said locking member, and being provided with releasing portions, said movable members adapted to have limited partial movement in opposed directions, said releasing portions adapted in one position of the respective members to register with said looking member to allow it to move.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification, this 13th day of May, 1925.

ERNEST TOBLER. 

